KYLE KELLAMS: This is Ozarks at Large. I’m Kyle Kellams.
TheatreSquared is readying for the launch of its 20th season. Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers will open later this month, but T2 isn’t waiting for opening night to celebrate 20 seasons.
A celebration at the theater building will take place Saturday from 3 until 7. It’s free, with live performances, hands-on theater activities for all ages, a stage combat class, behind-the-scenes tours of the building, plus free food, ice cream, and beverages—also options for 20th season commemorative birthday merch as well.
To get ready for the 20th season, we invited Shannon Jones, executive director of T2, and Bob Ford, artistic director, to come to the Anthony and Susan Hoy News Studio to discuss the upcoming season—but on our terms. Meaning: quiz time. Questions very loosely connected to each of the 20th season productions.
Shannon and Bob, admittedly, were a bit hesitant—until told they were working as a team. Not as opponents.
Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers
KELLAMS: So, the season starts with Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers, correct?
FORD: That’s correct.
KELLAMS: What can you tell us? I mean, we know about Three Musketeers, but when you have Ken Ludwig’s name in front of it, it indicates that this will be a joyous occasion.
FORD: It will be a joyous occasion. First of all, he is a—he loves history. So it’s not like he—he just loves Dumas. And that said, you know, that he’s going to train his comic’s eye—comedian’s eye—on this story. And also, he’s going to make it feel really contemporary, even though it’s very much, you know, based in this—this historical fiction.
KELLAMS: And it’s just about to open?
JONES: It’s just about to open—August 20.
KELLAMS: So we have a question connected to The Three Musketeers.
There’s a candy bar called Three Musketeers.
FORD: Yes.
KELLAMS: Why, according to ThreeMusketeers.com, is it called Three Musketeers? It’s multiple choice.
A. Is it because when first introduced in 1932, the manufacturer said it had three ingredients: chocolate, nougat, and fluffy?
B. Is it because when it was originally introduced in 1932, it had three separate bars in the package?
C. Or is it because inventor Maurice Grigsby’s favorite book was The Three Musketeers?
JONES: Ooh. I—I was gonna lean into like the three ingredients. That—you know, all for one, one for all.
FORD: I was—yeah, I was gonna go for that too. I—I bet that—so clearly number three is gonna be... I feel like it’s one and three.
I—I mean, ‘cause why—clearly the guy must have been... first of all, unless you made that name up. Grigsby?
KELLAMS: Morris Grigsby.
FORD: Must have been a fan of Three Musketeers.
Because why would he come up—why would I—
JONES: Yeah, let’s do that. One. Three.
FOR: Three.
KELLAMS: It’s actually because there were three bars included.
FORD: Oh!
KELLAMS: And I did make up Morris Grigsby’s name.
JONES: You did?
KELLAMS: Really. If you go to ThreeMusketeers.com, there’s no mention of who created it.
Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem
KELLAMS: Yes. Okay. Next production—we’re going to go chronologically—is a production that we first saw script-in-hand here. And help me with the full name. It’s Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem. When it was script-in-hand, it was fantastic. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be when it’s fully realized on the stage.
And this is part of the mission of T2.
FORD: Yeah. New works.
KELLAMS: Yeah.
FORD: We commissioned this play. And I’d say it’s a testament to how good this play is—we already—there are three theaters lined up to take our production. So it will be running basically all next year around the country.
KELLAMS: Redd Foxx, of course, was perhaps in the mainstream best known for the situation comedy Sanford and Son. The theme to Sanford and Son was written by Quincy Jones—one of the best TV themes ever. What was the name of that theme?
Was it Junked, The Streetbeater, or You Big Dummy?
KELLAMS: Now, Shannon, you’re younger than Bob and I, so I don’t know—are you familiar with Sanford and Son?
JONES: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Because “You big dummy” is something that Fred would often say to whoever was his nemesis at the moment.
KELLAMS: Junked, The Streetbeater, or You Big Dummy?
JONES: My—I was gonna lean into You Big Dummy. But then I was thinking Junked.
FORD: I’m thinking Junk too, because I’m like... well, Kyle is really clever. But that’s like a really clever name.
I’m gonna go with Junked.
KELLAMS: It’s The Streetbeater.
JONES: Ah!
It’s a Wonderful Life
KELLAMS: Around Christmastime, It’s a Wonderful Life will be on stage. Now, previously, T2 had done It’s a Wonderful Life, the radio play, where the radio people are doing it and there’s chaos behind. This is straight-ahead It’s a Wonderful Life?
FORD: Yeah. And, you know, prior to that radio play version, we also did a version that—this is now a big rewrite of—where we used a limited number of actors playing all the roles. So yeah—
KELLAMS George Bailey, Clarence the Angel...
And this will be around Christmastime.
JONES: All the classics. Another classic holiday tale of redemption and joy and love and family—all the fun things.
KELLAMS: Jimmy Stewart, of course, we know as George Bailey in the Frank Capra version of It’s a Wonderful Life. In 1962, Jimmy Stewart turned down a pivotal film role because he thought the movie would be too controversial, and he didn’t want to be part of it.
Was that:
A. Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird
B. The lead character in The Manchurian Candidate
C. Lolita
JONES: I’m leaning To Kill a Mockingbird, because I can’t imagine them even thinking of Jimmy Stewart...
FORD: No. The Peter Sellers role?
KELLAMS: You’re right. I’m going to tell you right now—you are absolutely right on that.
FORD: I like the idea that we look at Atticus Finch and think, “No controversy there at all.” But at that time, that would’ve been controversial.
JONES: So that’s my—I’ll lean into it with Bob.
FORD: I’m gonna be wrong.
KELLAMS: But no, you’re absolutely right. So I’ve tried, since learning that, to imagine Jimmy Stewart as Atticus Finch—and you can’t. It’s Gregory Peck.
The Book Club Play
KELLAMS: What can you tell me about The Book Club Play?
JONES: Oh man, it is—it’s a love of all things literature. It covers, you know, the love of reading literature and the people who love books, all wrapped up into a hilarious comedy.
Karen Zacarías, who did Native Gardens, which people might remember from our inaugural season in the new space—so a great comedic writer. In the show, it covers fun and known titles like The Da Vinci Code, Twilight—a wide world of literature. So I think that one’s going to be a really fun piece.
KELLAMS: Perhaps the most famous—or most participated in—book club in recent memory was Oprah’s Book Club. She would recommend a book on her show, and there were a variety of ways you could interact with her and the author.
So, what was the last book that Oprah recommended as part of the book club, when she still had her television show? It’s something that has since been put on stage at TheatreSquared.
Was it:
A. Great Expectations
B. The Hound of the Baskervilles
C. Hamlet
FORD: My first thought would be Great Expectations, but it’s so long. Like, would Oprah ask her...
JONES: Oprah can ask people to do anything.
FORD: Yeah, exactly.
And then what was the other one?
FORD: Hound of the Baskervilles.
FORD: That doesn’t seem like Oprah at all.
JONES: You want to go Great Expectations?
FORD: I kind of do.
JONES: Great Expectations?
KELLAMS: Yes. Yes. You’ve rallied!
Pride and Prejudice
KELLAMS: Speaking of great, beloved books—Pride and Prejudice is coming to the stage at TheatreSquared in this 20th season. I happen to know people—I happen to live with a person—who loves Jane Austen and Jane Austen adaptations. What inspired Pride and Prejudice to come to the stage?
JONES: Honestly, I’ve just been nagging Bob and Amy about it for... I was like planting seeds. I was like, “You know what would be really great? Pride and Prejudice.” But I mean, it is—it is—it’s a beloved title. It’s well-known. And there are so many great adaptations. And just speaking to T2’s strengths, doing that for our community, I think, is really exciting. And just getting to partner with the university on it is also, I think, a great way to bring this beloved classic to the stage for our region.
KELLAMS: All right. You mentioned there were a lot of adaptations. TV historians consider Pride and Prejudice one of the first ever TV movies. Was this in:
A. 1938
B. 1948
C. 1958
FORD: Okay. There weren’t TVs in 1938... 48 or 58, okay... like a movie made for TV. Is that what you mean?
FORD: Yes. Because those versions were screened on TV. This was a production created specifically for a television audience.
FORD: Interesting.
KELLAMS: 1938, 1948, or 1958...
JONES: I feel like it’s got to be 1958.
JONES: I was leaning into 1958, because 1948 would be...
JONES: 1948?
FORD: 1948?
KELLAMS: Is that your guess?
FORD: That’s my guess.
KELLAMS: It’s 1938.
JONES: What?
KELLAMS: Okay, so I knew no one would ever get this one. It was the BBC. The largest television screen in 1938 was 12 inches. It was not filmed. It was produced live in front of a solo camera—a static camera—and presented on a Thursday night, then a repeat on Sunday. But by repeat, I mean a repeat performance. It was another live performance. It doesn’t exist.
FORD: I mean, because it was live, no one can say they’ve seen it.
KELLAMS: And how many people in London in 1938 had a television?
FORD: Really?
KELLAMS: Yeah. And then you had to be tuned in to that—to the BBC.
FORD: That’s amazing.
I’m wondering who the actors were...
KELLAMS: I didn’t recognize any of the names.
FORD: Oh, really?
KELLAMS: And then the first theatrical version was in 1940, a couple years later.
You got that wrong, But I expected you to. That was a—that was... that’s why this last one is worth two points.
Eugene Onegin: A Bluegrass Musical
KELLAMS: This is the big one.
FORD: Okay.
KELLAMS: All right. What is the last production of the season?
JONES: Our last production of the season is Eugene Onegin: A Bluegrass Musical.
FORD: And it’s got music.
JONES: Yeah.
FORD: Oh, tons.
FORD: Yeah. It turns out that this brilliant playwright, who we’ve worked with in the past and who won an Obie Award—because we worked with Sarah Gancher—is also a brilliant songwriter and composer and fiddle player. She’s like a quadruple threat.
JONES: And she’s got roots—she’s got roots in northwest Arkansas. So really bringing this story alive with Ozarks and bluegrass and folk and all of the things that kind of make our region really musically rich, while putting a new spin on this story.
KELLAMS: And it’s a world premiere.
JONES: It’s a premiere.
FORD: It’s a first production.
KELLAMS: All right. So this is the make-or-break because this is worth two points. Kentucky bluegrass is something you can plant in your yard. According to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s website, which of these does Kentucky bluegrass do best with?
Is it:
A. Winter survival
B. Heat tolerance
C. Drought tolerance
D. Shade tolerance
FORD: Can you repeat those?
KELLAMS: Winter health, heat tolerance, drought tolerance, or shade tolerance.
FORD: I—I have this trace of a memory of this—that it was—that it’s shade tolerance. Because I feel like we’ve tried to grow... we can’t grow anything at our house because we’re in total shade.
KELLAMS: I’ll tell you that shade tolerance—it’s rated as good for shade tolerance.
But maybe we’re looking for something that’s... this is—this is—we’re looking for something for
KELLAMS: Yeah. So it’s good with shade, but not excellent with shade. So is it excellent with winter health, heat tolerance, or drought tolerance? Oh, I’m sorry—I should have said, not something that it’s fair at. Because with drought tolerance, it’s fair.
FORD: Okay. So this is... I feel like...
What is it—wait, wait, don’t tell me—where they basically...
So it’s either winter health or heat tolerance.
FORD: Well, I was gonna—I was gonna go winter health.
But—but are there winters in Kentucky?
This is—I think it’s winter health.
KELLAMS: It is winter health.
KELLAMS: So that’s five points. That’s one, two, four points good, three points bad. You win.
FORD: Yeah!
JONES: Okay. What do we—what do we win?
KELLAMS: A 20th season of theater.
JONES: All right!
FORD: Yes.
KELLAMS: Thank you.
KELLAMS: All right. So how can people get tickets? And you can subscribe as well?
JONES: Oh yeah, absolutely. So folks can get tickets at theatre2.org, or you can call our box office at 479-777-7477.
And yes, we have subscriptions, we’ve got single tickets. The subscriptions are a great way to experience a lot. You can subscribe for the entire season. If you want to see some of the more popular titles like Three Musketeers, Pride and Prejudice, and It’s a Wonderful Life, you can sign up for our Spotlight Series. We also have flexible create-your-own subscriptions. So if it’s like, “Hey, I really want to get like eight tickets to just this one show,” that’s still a subscription, and you get all the benefits. You get discounts: discounts at the café, discounts on your tickets. You get the best seating, flexible exchanges.
We try to make—we try to make different levels of accessibility so everyone can experience remarkable live theater in Northwest Arkansas.
FORD: I want to underline that—flexible exchanges. Because I’ve talked to people who will, at the last minute, call up and they will have changed their seats as many as three times.
And we are totally fine with that. We get it.
KELLAMS: And if you can get the season—because there will be a production like A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder that you don’t really know what it’s about, and you’ll walk out thinking, “Oh, I’m going to see that again.”
KELLAMS: Shannon Jones is executive director of TheatreSquared. Bob Ford is artistic director. Our quiz took place at the Carver Center for Public Radio earlier this week. The free celebration of T2’s 20th season is at T2 in downtown Fayetteville, Saturday from 3 until 7 p.m.
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